Lower Blepharoplasty

What is a lower blepharoplasty?

A lower blepharoplasty procedure is when a head and neck surgeon removes excess skin from the lid below your eyes. This procedure is typically performed for cosmetic purposes, to remove “bags” from under your eyes and to promote a more youthful and well-rested look.

How is a lower blepharoplasty performed? Will I have scars from this type of eyelid surgery?

Lower eyelid blepharoplasty surgery can be performed in the operating room under general sedation or in the clinic with local anesthetic. An incision is made inside the lower eyelid to hide any scarring in your natural anatomy. If you have excess skin below your eyes, an additional incision is made immediately below your eyelashes on the outside of the lower eyelid.

When can I expect to get back to work?

We recommend taking a full week off of work or school to adequately rest and recuperate from your lower eyelid surgery. We will see you in the clinic one week after your surgery to ensure everything is healing properly and to remove any sutures. Depending on your occupation, you may be feeling up to returning to work after that first week. You should expect to be taking it easy for the first two weeks after surgery; we recommend no heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for a full two weeks. Avoid any rigorous exercise or contact sports for six full weeks after this lower eyelid procedure.

How much does a lower blepharoplasty cost?

Typically, procedures that are cosmetic in nature are considered “elective” by insurance companies. After your consultation with Dr. Reilly, you will be provided a personalized quote based on the scope of work discussed in your visit. Often, patients see less out-of-pocket costs for procedures performed in a lower cost setting, such as our clinic. We have a team who will help navigate you through the scheduling process.

For lower blepharoplasty, the incision is typically made either inside the eyelid, or at the line immediate below the eyelashes. In order to correct issues with redundant skin and laxity, a conservative pinch of skin is typically taken from this area and the edges are sutures back together with a thin, absorbable suture. If the patient has any evidence of weakness of the lower eyelid tissues, a permanent suture can be placed to secure this to the orbital bone (eye socket) in order to minimize the risk of scarring creating a more open/rounded appearance to the lower eye.
For the “bags”/bulging fat from below the eye, the fat can either be directly removed or it can be repositioned into the tear trough below the eye using sutures to hold it in place for a week after surgery. These sutures are placed from inside the eyelid out to the facial skin and secured down to the tear trough over an antibiotic gauze to allow a week of healing in place. The gauze/sutures are then removed at the first post-operative visit.